City

of Fayetteville dignitaries and members of the

Southern Conservation Trust were on hand last

week to welcome an investment of 13.5 acres as a

nature preserve.

"We're

aware that this is an investment in the future of

Fayetteville and its residents," said Alex

Thompson, president of Thompson and Company and

the developer of Bay Branch Condominiums in

Fayetteville.

The

company has deeded the land, just behind a new

neighborhood the company is building, to SCT for

a perpetual preserve that will never be

developed.

The

condominiums are under construction to the south

of the preserve, on Bay Branch Boulevard at

Weatherly Drive and Knight Way, one block off Ga.

Highway 54 east.

"The

gesture is definitely a generous one," said

Dennis Chase, vice chairman of SCT. "The

city of Fayetteville and its citizens will

benefit greatly from it, as will the residents of

Bay Branch. Having a preserve this close to your

home is a true bonus."

Southern

Conservation Trust is Fayette County's nature

conservancy organization, and will use the

property as a bird sanctuary.

An

old oxidation pond occupies about five acres of

the site, said Chase, providing a wet area that

attracts birds and other wildlife to feed.

"But there's not much there in the way of

habitat for them to nest in," he added.

Local

Eagle Scout candidates are planning have begun

building bird and bat nesting boxes in the

wetland, he said. Aquatic vegetation abounds, he

added. At some time in the future, volunteers

also may plant trees and other vegetation to

enhance the park.

SCT

will hold the site as a place where wildlife can

flourish undisturbed close to the heart of

Fayetteville, he said.

The

swampy land, with its aquatic vegetation, also

acts as a filtration area to help keep nearby

Nash Creek clean, Chase said, another reason to

keep human visitation to a minimum.

The

Bay Branch company also has donated about $2,000

to help maintain the area, and has committed to

additional donations in the future to help pay

taxes and keep up the property.

Mayor

Kenneth Steele also welcomed the donation.

"As Fayetteville grows, it is our charge as

the representatives of the people, to see that

our land and growth are managed well," said

Steele. "When developers willingly donate

land for green space, everyone benefits."

<!--

-----------